Emimen’s younger brother Nathan Mathers will appear in Shelby Township district court today (July 23) to stand trial on a drunken driving charge. Mathers was charged with DUI on April 15, after police stopped his vehicle for failing to pull over for an ambulance. Mathers failed sobriety field tests and Macomb County Police said the rapper’s blood-alcohol level was 0.16, twice the legal limit. Mathers, 23, also has a previous DUI charge.
Producer Madlib and rapper Guilty Simpson have joined forces to form a new group named OJ Simpson. The name of the group is a combination of Madlib’s real name (Otis Jackson) and Guilty Simpson’s name. The group is planning a 14-track-album that will feature guest appearances by Elzhi and Strong Arm Steady, with scratching by J.Rocc. The group recently released “Coroner Music,” the title track off of the album, which is due in stores this Fall.
Jay-Z will replace the Beastie Boys as the headlining act at the All Points West festival, which takes place in Jersey City on July 31. The performance will be Jay-Z‘s first major American festival appearance this year. The Beastie Boys announced on Monday (July 20) that they were postponing the release of their upcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 because group member Adam “MCA” Yauch has cancer in his parotid gland. Other artists on the bill for the All Points West festival include Coldplay, Tool, and others. Fans of the Beastie Boys can get refunds, but only for the July 31 performance.
The remaining assets of the Hip Hop Soda Shop were auctioned off yesterday in Tampa, Florida. Less than a dozen people came out to bid on the remnants of the restaurant, which was auctioned off for $525,000. According to reports, the property’s actual value is over a million dollars. The winning bidder was a Tampa business man, who said he plans to turn his newly acquired property into a hotel.